Accidental Billionaire Plus-One
Author: Annika Martin
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Kelsey has been estranged from her family for three years, ever since her mother told her to leave if Kelsey wouldn’t confess to a crime they found her guilty of, but she insists she didn’t commit. So when her sister reaches out asking for help addressing the invitations to her upcoming nuptials, Kelsey jumps at the chance to be welcomed back into the fold. Thinking her sister would laugh when Kelsey suggested sending a couple of rejected invites to famous people, Kelsey felt shame when her sister insists the TikTok gag was for losers.
Fast forward six months. Billionaire recluse Bruno needs an immediate and immovable event to get him out of a family obligation that he’s already said no to a dozen times. When his assistant tells him about the wedding invitation sent in hopes of receiving a nice gift, he decides to show up. Not wanting her sister to find out about the joke, Kelsey begs Bruno to be her pretend plus one, and he agrees knowing it will keep his brothers off his back.
Annika Martin is an auto-read author for me, and she delivers again with Accidental Billionaire Plus-One! I absolutely adored Kelsey and Bruno: sunshine and grumpy opposites, both scarred by family.
Despite the horrible treatment by those who are supposed to love her, Kelsey shines on. She has an incredible found family, and a satisfying, successful career. She marches to her own beat and makes no apologies. That said, she does hurt each time someone says she’s ”too much,” and she misses her family. Knowing Bruno isn’t a real date allows Kelsey to be true to herself and let her eccentric nature flow.
As someone who was often told I was “obnoxious“ or “too loud,” I related hard to Kelsey, trying to pretend words don’t hurt, and secretly wanting to be accepted as is. She has so much life and is kind and giving. I love that Bruno is drawn to that from the start.
On the other hand, Bruno maintains tight control over his every action and life. His mother died when he was seven, and his abusive father expected nothing short of perfection from his sons. Bruno doesn’t tolerate frivolity or spontaneity, yet he appreciates Kelsey’s quirks and wants her to flourish. The more time they spend together, the harder he falls for her. He is rigid but wants to change after she shows him how different life can be. Kelsey knows just how to push and when to pull back.
Accidental Billionaire Plus-One is pure joy and lots of emotion. It is sweet but sexy; silly but heartfelt; predictable but perfect. Nothing makes me laugh out loud and touch my heart like Martin’s storytelling.
My Rating: A-
Jen
About the Book:
All I did was mail one of my sister’s rejected wedding invitations to a stranger.
A notoriously private, famously grumpy billionaire stranger.
As a joke. Mostly. (I also sent one to Ryan Gosling. Don’t ask.)
But then a helicopter nearly flattens the reception tent at my sister’s Hamptons wedding, and out steps the billionaire—wearing a tux, a scowl, and carrying a gift.
What?
The bride’s side wants to know if he’s with the groom.
The groom’s side wants to know if he’s with the bride.
My sister absolutely cannot find out he’s here because of me!
So I intercept him and beg him to pretend he’s my plus-one.
And he says yes.
Not because he’s nice. The man lives alone on a yacht and reportedly hates everyone. He has his own reasons for wanting to fake-date a broke dance teacher—reasons he refuses to explain because he is the SURLIEST MAN ALIVE.
But four days of forced proximity is a long time.
Long enough to discover that beneath all that billionaire-grade hostility, he’s surprisingly good at protecting me when things fall apart.
The problem?
Fake dating him is starting to feel dangerously real.
And falling for the surliest man alive was definitely not part of the deal.
Release Date: August 18, 2026
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Standalone; Billionaires of Manhattan #9
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com
Format(s): paperback (376 pages), e-book
Book Source: Author
#RRBC 2026: Number in the title